It's been a long road for me to permanently give up avoids. Not sure I've done it yet, or ever will...but I'm usually getting closer to the goal. Some blood type dieters just jump in and swim with it, others of us flounder at times. I fit the flounder category. Over time, with many slips and cheats, I figure out what my own reasons for avoiding each avoid are. If I were on a higher plane, I could just avoid them for the reason that I know the diet works and that the good doctor is right, but I'm not on that plane, so I'm still discovering my own reasons...

What & Why

Wheat: 1) number 1 reason is that I'm a celiac and wheat contains gluten which makes my digestion very irritable to say the least, and also contributes to autoimmune problems and raises the risk of cancer. Good reason. My other reasons are: 2) makes me sad, weepy, and moody for more than 24 hours after eating, 3) makes me gain weight fast (even as a celiac) due to the lectin causing insulin resistance, 4) haven't had a sinus infection since I stopped eating wheat in 1999.

Milk: 1) makes me irritable/mean/grumpy for 30 minutes or so, which I can't handle especially since I'm a mom and that requires patience and tolerance. 2) induces digestive problems due to lactose intolerance 3) makes my nose and ears stuffy, contributed to former bouts of sinus problems and the like. Oh, I amost forgot #4) if I eat milk during the day I almost always wake up in the night with a pointedly stubborn itch in the back of my throat...you know, the kind of itch that makes you want to claw it out, but you just can't get rid of it until it decides to leave.

Corn: 1) Deadens my mind, which I have recently done intentionally but usually prefer to have a clear head. 2) makes me gain weight steadily 3) some corn derivatives cause headaches and a weird reaction on my scalp.

Soy: 1) causes digestive problems, cramping and maybe a bit of bloating. Might also deaden my mind.

Coconut: 1) deadens my mind

Sugar: 1) causes heart palpitations 2) triggers intense cravings for more sugar and other avoids 3) weakens immune system.

Maybe my reasons will help my readers either find their own reasons faster, or help you decide just to avoid the avoids whether or not you've sorted out your own reactions to them. Keep in mind that non-secretors are more reactive, yet it's still taken me 5+ years to figure all this out. If you're new to the diet, you'll notice that you feel better when you're compliant, but try to avoid my mistakes of second guessing every avoid, if you can. The BTD has still helped me immensely, even though I occasionally treat myself like a lab rat, overall I'm quite compliant and still reaping the rewards for that, but if I can spare any of you the occasional avoid experiment (tasty though they may be), then that is a good thing